Emergency by Daniel Beaty

A slave ship emerges in front of the Statue of Liberty sending NY into a whirlwind of emotion and exploration in this explosive solo tour de force featuring slam poetry, multi-character transformation, and song. Daniel Beaty portrays a cast of 40 characters including a homeless man, a scientist, a republican business executive, a street vendor, and an 11-year old boy from the projects who all respond to the unexpected phenomenon. Through the characters' individual responses to this surreal happening and their varied testimonies on identity and personal freedom, Emergency weaves a stirring commentary on what it is to be human and the longing to be free. The performance is 80 minutes and can be performed with two armless chairs and basic house lighting.

Reviews:"Daniel Beaty's explosive, affecting solo play Emergence-See! may be the most important new American drama since Angels in America"- Mark Denton, NYTheatre.com

"Mr. Beaty's writing for his central characters is compassionate and precise. Mr. Beaty is also a fine singer. He moves with the easy grace of a man attuned to the rhythmic impulse that links music and poetry."- Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

"Funnier than most serious plays and vastly smarter than most funny plays, Daniel Beaty's Emergence-See! is the most intriguing new show of the season. Its premise is inspired."- Jeremy McCarter, New York Magazine

"Daniel Beaty's explosive, affecting solo play Emergence-See! may be the most important new American drama since Angels in America"- Mark Denton, NYTheatre.com

Awards:2011 Peter Ziesler Memorial Award2010 NAACP Theater Award - Best Solo Show2010 AUDELCO Award - Solo Performance2010 OVATION Award - Best Lead Male Actor in a Drama2009 NAACP Theater Award - Best Actor2008 Lamplighter Award from the Black Leadership Forum in Washington D.C2008 Edgerton Foundation's New American Play Award2007 Obie Award for Writing & Performance2007 Audelco Award for Solo PerformanceNew York Magazine awarded him a 2007 Culture Award for Best in Theater2007 Scotsman Fringe First Award for the best new writer at the Edinburgh Festival